"HOUSTON LIFE," T.G.I.F..
THANKS FOR JOINING US HERE
TODAY.
I'M DERRICK SHORE.
>> AND I'M COURTNEY ZAVALA.
HE'S HIGHLY ACCLAIMED AUTHOR,
HEALTHY AND LIFE-STYLE
CRUSADER, CHEF, AND MUCH MORE.
WE WELCOME CELEBRITY CHEF ROCCO
DESPIRITO TO "HOUSTON LIFE."
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.
PERILOVE BEING IN THE 64-DEGREE
WEATHER THAT YOU HAVE HERE.
>> INDOOR FALL.
>> KEEPS THAT ICE RINK FROM
MELTING.
>> THIS IS YOUR 13th COOKBOOK.
THIS IS UNBELIEVABL
PERSON WRITE A BOOK.
IT'S AMAZING.
>> YOU HAVE DONE A COMPLETE
SHIFT IN LIFE-STYLE.
>> I WENT FROM A DRUNK FRAT BOY
TO A MINDFUL, CONSCIOUS EATER,
WHO NOW EATS A HEALTHY
LIFE-STYLE, GLUTEN FREE,
DAIRY-FREE, REFINED SUGAR-FREE
FOODS, NUTRITION DENSE.
I CREATED MANY EXAMPLES, ONE OF
WHICH YOU MADE, COCONUT
CHOCOLATE CHIP BALLS.
>> AND IT WAS SUPER EASY.
FOR YOU FOR THAT HAIFA STYLE
SHIFT.
>> I WAS IN MY DOCTOR'S OFFICE,
DR. MICHAEL HAMMER, I LOVE THIS
MAN, HE'S BEEN TAKING CARE OF
ME SINCE I WAS 18AND I'VE
BEEN A HYPOCHONDRIAC, HE SAID,
CONGRATULATIONS, YOU FINALLY
HAVE SOMETHING TO WORRY ABOUT.
YOU HAVE THE METABOLIC AGE OF A
68-YEAR-OLD MAN, GAVE ME A
BUNCH OF MEDICINES TO TAKE AND
SAID COME BACK IN SIX MONTHS,
AND I SAID WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?
HERE SAID CHANGE YOUR DIET,
YOUR LIFE-STYLE, AND ALL OF
THIS WILL GO AWAY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO
ME.
USUALLY I DO THE MOST DANGEROUS
THING, RECKLESS THING, SIDE
EFFECTS, WHO CARES, SO I
THOUGHT, WHY DON'T I BE KIND TO
MYSELF AND DOT BETTER THING,
TAKE THE BETTER PATH, AND SO I
DID START TO EXERCISE AND I
STARTED TO CHANGE HOW I ATE.
A YEAR LATER, I DID AN IRONMAN
TRIATHLON AND HE TOLD ME THAT I
REVERSED EVERYTHING AND MY
METABOLIC AGE WAS 18 AFTER A
YEAR OF CHANGING MY DIET.
AGE NOW.
>> NO, YOU'RE NOT.
>> GIVE OR TAKE.
>> I WILL BE THERE ONE DAY.
>> YES, YOU WILL BE AS WELL.
>> HUGE WAKE-UP CALL, WHEN IT
COMES NOW TO THIS COOKBOOK,
IT'S INTERESTING, BECAUSE THE
IDEA OF A PLANT-BASED DIET,
THIS COMES UP A LOT.
HERE IN TEXAS, WE LOVE OUR
MEAT, WE LOVE THE BARBECUE, AND
I THINK THERE'S MAYBE A LITTLE
BIT OF ALMOST LIKE--
>> FEAR.
>> STIGMA, LIKE, OH, YOU'RE A
VEGETARIAN, GOOD LUCK GETTING
ALL OF YOUR NUTRIENTS.
>> THE THING IS, EVERYBODY IS
ALREADY ON A UP PLANT BASED
DIET, THEY JUST DON'T REALIZE
IT THAT WHEN YOU EAT DORITO'S,
THOSE ARE PLANT-BASED FOODS,
BUT THE WRONG VEGETABLE
>> THE WAY THIS IS DESIGNED IS
REALLY HOW WE SHOULD BE
SHOPPING IN THE GROCERY STORES
ANYWAY, RIGHT?
THE OUTER PARTS OF THE STORE.
>> SHOP THE PERIMETER, STAY
AWAY FROM THE PACKAGED GOODS.
I DON'T CALL FOR A LOT OF
FROZEN FOODS EVEN IN THIS BOOK.
THERE'S LOTS OF FRESH FOOD OUT
THERE.
WHEN YOU GET RID OF ALL OF THE
PACKAGED FOODS AND YOU STARTING
TO EMBRACE WHOLE FOODS,
PLANT-BASED, THERE ARE
THOUSANDS OF OPTIONS FOR YOU.
PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE HOW MUCH
FRESH FOOD THERE IS.
THEY'RE STUCK IN THE PACKAGED
FOODS AND THEY THINK THAT'S
THEIR UNIVERSE.
OF A BOX.
>> THAT'S TRUE.
>> YOU HAVE DAIRY-FREE,
GLUTEN-FREE BOOKS AS WELL.
>> THE WHOLE BOOK IS, AS WELL
AS SUGAR-FREE.
I'VE GOT AVOCADO DISHES TO A
WHOLE BURGER CHAPTER.
I CALL FOR A LOT OF ORGANIC
FOOD BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE
PESTICIDE RESIDU
I'VE GOT BREAKFAST, PROTEIN
PANCAKES, WHICH I'LL BE MAKING
TOMORROW.
CAULIFLOWER RISOTTO.
SO IT REALLY RUNS THE GAMUT.
THERE ARE 248 RECIPES, SO I
BELIEVE THERE'S SOMETHING IN
THIS BOOK FOR EVERYONE.
SO IF YOU'RE THE MOM OR DAD OF
A BIG FAMILY WITH A LOT OF
PREFERENCES, THIS BOOK SHOULD
COVER ALL OF YOUR NEEDS.
>> THERE WERE SO MANY GREAT
RECIPES IN THERE I CAN'T WAIT
TO TRY, AND I LOVED MAKING THIS
ONE BECAUSE IT WAS SUPER EASY.
>> I'M GOING TO TRY ONE OF
THESE BALLS.
>> DIDN'T YOUR YOUNG ONE HELP
YOU MAKE THESE?
>> NO, THEY WERE IN BED.
>> A FRIEND OF MINE MADE MY NO
BAKETHREE-YEAR-OLD CHOCOLATE
CHIP COOKIES, AND HER
THREE-YEAR-OLD MADE THEM
HE WAS SO FIGURED OUT.
KIDS LOVE TO COOK.
KIDS ARE SUPER ENGAGED WHEN IT
COMES TO COOKING AND FOOD.
THEY THINK IT'S A KIND OF
MAGIC, AND IT IS, BUT THEY'RE
THINK.
THE TYPICAL APPROACH WITH KIDS
IS, OH, THEY'LL NEVER EAT THAT,
THEY'RE ADDICTED TO CHICKEN
NUGGETS.
THEY'RE ADDICTED TO AND LIKE
WHATEVER YOU TEACH THEM TO.
>> THEY'RE A LOT MORE
ADVENTUROUS THAN WE THINK.
>> YOU WERE RECENTLY ON GUYS
GROCERY GAME.
YOU WON $40,000 THAT WENT
TOWARD--
>> I KNOW, ISN'T THAT COOL?
>> CONGRATULATIONS.
>> IT ONLY TOOK 32 CUTS AND 12
BURNS.
>> THERE'S YOUR TROPHY.
>> SO FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER
HEARD ABOUT HEALTH CORPS, TELL
THERE IS DR. OZ.
>> YES.
HE FOUNDED THE MEHMET HEALTH
CORE FOUNDATION.
WHAT HE DOES IS HE EMBEDS A
RECENT COLLEGE GRAD IN A HIGH
SCHOOL AND THEY STAY THERE FOR
THREE YEARS TEACHING THE HEALTH
CORPS CURRICULUM, WHICH TEACHES
HEALTH AND WELLNESS TO STUDENTS
INTERESTED.
I'VE BEEN AN AMBASSADOR FOR
OVER 10 YEARS AND I'VE SEEN THE
CHILDREN WHO ARE PRODUCTS OF
THE HEALTH CORPS PROGRAM AND
THEY GROW UP IN MUCH BETTER
CONDITIONS THAN THEY WOULD HAVE
HAD THEY NOT BEEN EXPOSED TO
WORK AT THESE SCHOOLS.
>> WHAT I THINK IS SO GREAT
ABOUT YOU IS YOU HAVE THIS
OBVIOUSLY A CELEBRITY, YOUR
RESUME IS LONG, BUT YOU LOVE TO
GET BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY AND
REALLY USE THAT CELEBRITY.
>> YOU'RE MAKING ME SOUND OLD.
>> NO!
YOU'RE USING THAT TO YOUR POWER
TO REALLY GET YOUR MESSAGE OUT
ABOUT KIDS AND GETTING THE
WHOLE FAMILY BACK ON TRACK AND
EATING WELL AND GETTING OUT AND
EXERCISING.
>> WHEN I STARTED COOKING FOR
MYSELF AND TRAINING FOR THIS
TRIATHLON AT 38 AND FIGURED OUT
THAT YOU CAN HAVE HEALTHY FOOD
AND THAT THEY'RE NOT MUTUALLY
EXCLUSIVE, I THOUGHT I SOLVED A
BIG PROBLEM AND I WANTED TO
SHARE THAT WITH PEOPLE.
I ALSO GREW UP IN A VERY
CHARITABLE FAMILY.
MY MOM WAS ALWAYS AT BINGO ,
HELPING THE SCHOOL RAISE FUNDS.
CHARITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PART
OF YOUR LIFE, AND AS A CHEF,
YOU'RE ALWAYS CALLED UPON TO
DONATE A MEAL.
I PICKED FOOD SECURITY,
CHILDREN AND OBESITY AS MY TOP
THREE PRIORITIES AND I'VE
CONTINUED TO WORK IN THOSE
FIELDS EVER SINCE.
WE'RE STARTING TO SEE AN
IMPACT, SO IT'S GREAT, YEAH.
I THINK A WHOLE LIFE INCLUDES A
LOT OF CHARITY.
>> I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU
ABOUT WHAT YOU KEEP IN YOUR
KITCHEN.
BECAUSE WHEN IT COMES TO EATING
A PLANT-BASED DIET, WHAT ARE
SOME OF THE THINGS YOU JUST
HAVE TO HAVE IN YOUR KITCHEN AT
ALL TIMES
>> EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL,
PEPPER, HERBS, COCONUT OIL OR
COCONUT MAN IN A, THE COLD
PRESSED EXTRA VIRGIN THAT COMES
OUT OF THE COCONUT MEAT.
IT'S COLD PROCESSED NOW AND
IT'S REALLY, REALLY GOOD FOR US.
CHOCOLATE.
>> WHAT?
SIGN ME UP.
>> CHOCOLATE IS A SUPER FOOD.
IT'S REALLY GOOD FOR YOUR BRAIN
AND HEART.
>> DARK CHOCOLATE?
>> YES, DARK
THE PROBLEM IS WE TAKE
SOMETHING AMAZING AND WE MESS
WITH IT AND TURN IT INTO
SOMETHING THAT'S NOT TO GREAT
FOR YOU.
WE'VE DONE THAT TO CHOCOLATE,
UNFORTUNATELY, BUT PEOPLE KNOW
WHAT DARK CHOCOLATE MEANS.
MEANS.
YOU SHOULD BE EATING IT EVERY
DAY.
>> DON'T GO AWAY.
>> I'M GOING TO DO A QUICK
SKATE AROUND THE RINK AND I'LL
BE BACK.
BIT TO TELL US MORE ABOUT THAT